Monthly Archives: August 2014

In my career guidance session, one of the common question for which the students and parents are seeking the answer is “Which foreign language to study?” This is irrespective of the streams and degree courses, they are studying in. Almost everyone wish to learn some foreign language.

This article Nine Best Languages to Learn For Business and career success will be of great help for all those people seeking the answer for “Which foreign language to study?”

Before you start reading ahead, please note that this is a little bit long article consisting around 1650 words or 8800 characters.

The world is becoming more and more interconnected. Advancements in technology are seeing theworld become smaller, and countries more dependent on each other. For those reasons, it is imperative for businesses to learn to work and communicate with people from different backgrounds.

More and more, different countries are becoming dependent on importing goods from overseas locations instead of staying with domestic producers. Being able to connect with other suppliers, partners, and customers will help a business truly grow to its full potential, and open doors to markets that might otherwise remain out of reach.

Because of that, fluency in foreign languages is a skill that employers will prize in business settings.Connecting with customers, businesses, suppliers, and potential partners is always crucial to success. Being able to cross cultural boundaries by being fluent in a foreign language is a very good way to create new business relationships that will help any organization thrive.

When looking at learning a foreign language, one needs to look at which ones will be the best fit. There are certain languages that are going to be more beneficial for individuals to learn within a business setting. Here are nine languages that are sure to open doors across the world.

Here is the list for Nine Best Languages to Learn For Business

Russian – 160 Million Native Speakers

Russia is full of very wealthy people hungry for new arenas in which to do business. There are some great opportunities available for companies looking to expand to this affluent part of the world, but many Russian business people do not speak good English. Because they don’t know much English, most may only do business with others who are Russian-speaking.

Translators are an option, but it’s hard to beat a conversation without an intermediary. This language is one of the more challenging to learn, but the time it takes is worthwhile if it means making deals with wealthy partners in enormously important markets. Six countries include Russian as an official language.

German – 100 Million Native Speakers

German is spoken natively by about 100 million people, making it the most widely spoken native language in the European Union and one of the major languages of the world. The three main countries are Germany, Austria and Switzerland. German Is Regional/Minority Language in France, Poland and Romania.

Germany is the fourth-largest producer of automobiles worldwide, after Japan, the US and China. The automotive industry is considered the driving force of the German economy. The industry, which places a strong focus on qualifications, employed around 742,000 people in 2011 – including a high percentage of university graduates. The automotive industry’s annual revenues reached around €356 billion in 2012. Along with automotive industry mechanical and plant engineering is one of the most important industries in the German economy. More than 6,000 companies employ around 964,000 workers – more than in any other industrial sector. In terms of revenue, mechanical and plant engineering is the second largest industrial sector in Germany. In 2012, the industry generated revenues of more than €209 billion. If you want to be part of global automotive or mechanical and plant engineering industry learning German can add value to your CV.

French – 74 Million Native Speakers

French is a very important language to learn for those who are looking to succeed in the world of business. Many people do not know is that French was considered the international lingua franca – a common language with which people all around the world can converse – for quite some time, until the rise of the British and American empires brought English into prominence.

France is known for its performing and culinary arts. The world’s best educational institutes for the same are in France. There are still many companies and individuals around the world that prefer to do business in French, and many African and Mediterranean countries that were once French colonies or territories. Because of this, French is spoken widely throughout the world, with about 335 million total speakers.

Japanese – 127 Million Native Speakers

Long at the forefront of the world’s technology, Japan is the hub of the robotics that is poised to upend the way we think about business, and even society, in the coming decades. If companies are looking to break into this up-and-coming scene, knowing how to speak Japanese would be very useful.

According to Wikipedia, “Japan employs over a quarter of a million industrial robot workers. In the next 15 years, Japan estimates that number to jump to over one million and they expect revenue for robotics to be near $70 billion by 2025.” Robotics or anything else, revenue of that size might be something to consider being a part of.

Portuguese – 202 Million Native Speakers

Similar to Spanish but not as popular, Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, which has an enormous population of over 200 million. Fortunately for growing companies, this already huge population is rapidly growing. Brazil is also a country of young people, with 62 percent of Brazilians 29 or younger. Also, Brazil is steadily increasing in wealth, and is now the seventh largest economy in the world. Knowing how to speak Portuguese would be useful in order to reach out to such a large population of young, ambitious, wealthy business professionals that show a promising growth for the future.

Portuguese is an official language in nine countries, including Angola, Macau, Cape Verde, and, of course, Portugal.

Arabic – 223 Million Native Speakers

Arabic is the official language of roughly 27 different countries, and the Middle East is proving to be full of promise for businesses across the world. The ticket is to know how to speak the right language. The use of the internet is rising in popularity in the Middle East, and so it is becoming easier to do business there from anywhere else.

Rasha Khouri is the founder of the luxury goods e-commerce company called DIA-style.com. She first launched her website in English, but it wasn’t until she had all the information translated to Arabic that her business really took off. She stated that traffic and user engagement grew much stronger, more active, and more loyal since the switch.

Other business owners agree that the Middle East is one of their biggest export markets. Some say the region makes up a quarter of their business overall. Because of the fast-growing market of eager consumers in the Middle East, businesses should consider making their products easily available to Arabic speakers, and enterprising business people should consider taking a few lessons.

Spanish – 406 Million Native Speakers

When doing business solely within the United States, it is important for companies to know how to communicate with the country as a whole. Given that Spanish is the second most spoken language in America, it’s easily the best to learn for those looking to broaden their horizons within the USA.

In addition to doing better business in the United States, Spanish could broaden horizons in countries like Paraguay and Ecuador. With large self-sustaining environments, South America offers opportunities for a cheaper way to do business, and most of the population is Spanish-speaking.

There’s also Mexico, which is one of the top countries to think about investing in. It has a free market economy in the trillion dollar class, and trade with the United States continues to increase. All told, about 20 countries include Spanish as an official language (including, naturally, Spain). Knowing how to fluently converse with business professionals that speak Spanish would be highly beneficial for those looking to keep their businesses growing.

Mandarin Chinese – 935 Million Native Speakers

Mainland China alone has close to a billion people who speak Mandarin natively. Chinese clout has stretched into Africa and beyond, pushing more and more people toward consuming energy and other resources.

Some of the most important and influential Chinese communities are in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and Mongolia. Mandarin Chinese is spoken in all of these, so knowing how to converse with professionals in these places would give business people the advantage of tapping into vast markets and making a more personal connection with some of the most powerful economies.

Also, many companies have long-term investments in China, so business with companies such as these would provide business for years to come.

English – 365 Million Native Speakers

English continues to be a prevailing language in business in many parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, The U.K., and India. Statistics show that there are over 300 million people in the world who speak English as a second language, over 100 million of whom actually preferring to use English over any other language to communicate.

Most likely, those who are doing business in another country with a native language other than English will be able to find at least one person who knows English as a second language, making it easier to get by. Because it is so widely spoken, it’s also not uncommon for people from vastly different places to communicate through English as a shared second language. Around the world, it’s a language of which mastery is either prized or expected, and that extends to the business world as well.

Finally note that it takes time to Become Fluent in any foreign language, keep this in mind before you start learning the same.

Just staying off the boss’ radar probably isn’t going to be enough if you want to progress in your career. There is also the problem that if the manager gets a puzzled look when your name is mentioned, your lack of impact is going to make you an obvious candidate if there is a need to let someone go in the office. Impressing your boss isn’t just about trying to get ahead; it is also about protecting your current position. In this article 8 Things That Will Impress Your Boss, we will take a stock of what you need to achieve both.

If you feel a bit uneasy at the prospect of trying to ‘suck up to the boss’, it may be because you are mistaken as to what it actually involves. We are not talking here about stuff like insincere compliments or groveling to management – most bosses are going to see right through such manipulative behavior, and it can actually harm your reputation. If you want to effectively impress your boss, it is simply about being good at what you do.

It is important to keep in mind that doing the stuff that is going to impress the bosses can also makes your life easier as well. Making a bit of an effort can reignite your passion for your career, and it can mean you develop a real sense of professional pride. It also means your love for your work increases, and it can feel like you are being paid to enjoy yourself.

It is often the simple actions that are going to be most effective when it comes to putting you in a favorable light with management. If you manage to accomplish something major at work, it is going to put you briefly in the spotlight, but the reality is people forget. The small actions you take on a regular basis can ultimately have a bigger impact on how you are viewed by management than your milestone achievements – especially if your general performance at work is a bit unremarkable.

Show That You Know the Industry

The fact that you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your industry is going to be impressive for a number of reasons. It demonstrates that you have a passion for what you do, and it also means that you can be a valuable member of the team. You don’t want to use this knowledge in a way that is going to make your boss look bad, but you can offer it in a more constructive way – you may even earn some extra reputation credits by photocopying interesting articles and sharing them with your boss and colleagues.

Staying up-to-date with your industry doesn’t have to take much effort. One hour of reading per week should be enough to keep you aware of the most important developments. It is a good idea to subscribe to at least one industry magazine, and you might also want to follow some of the key players in your area through social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube).

Take On Some Extra Commitments

Most of us feel swamped enough with the work we are already assigned that the idea of taking on extra assignments can feel unreasonable. The problem is that just doing your job is not going to allow you to stand out from the crowd.

Taking on an extra commitment doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to have a significant increase in your workload – for example, taking on the responsibility of preparing a room for a meeting might only take a few minutes.

Suggest Ways to Save the Company Money

One of the advantages you have over your boss is that you are likely to see things from a different perspective. This means you can spot things that management is going to miss, and these observations are going to be valuable if they can save the company money.

It is a good idea to do a bit of research before you present your idea, and if possible, support your claim with some documentation. If your suggestions do prove to be workable, it could put you on the fast-track for promotion.

Develop A ‘Can Do’ Attitude

If you have a positive attitude at work, it is not only going to make you popular with your boss, but also with your colleagues. Negative people do tend to attract the most attention in an office, but it isn’t the right type of attention. The person who complains all the time, and is resistant when it comes to change or taking on new responsibilities, is going to have a reputation for being hard to work with and a liability on the team.

The key to developing a ‘can do’ attitude is to become passionate about what you do, and to have faith in your own abilities. If the boss makes a reasonable request, you want to be one of the first to say ‘yes’. Don’t just say ‘no’ to things – if something isn’t going to work, you need to suggest an alternative.

Speak Your Mind (But Know What You Are Talking About)

You don’t want to become so much of a ‘yes-person’ that you gladly follow your boss into a disaster even though you can see the warning signs beforehand. Sometimes, you are going to need to speak your mind in order to be viewed as a valuable member of the team.

The important thing is that when you do this, your claims are backed by facts. If you speak your mind, but it is obvious you don’t know what you are talking about, it’s only going to damage your credibility.

Take Responsibility and Make No Excuses

Making excuses for your mistakes doesn’t help anyone, and it can give the impression that you are only interested in saving your own skin. A better approach is to just own up right away to mistakes, and show a willingness to rectify the situation.

The boss probably already knows the mistake isn’t completely your fault, but if you go on the defensive, it can just make you look guiltier. Making a mistake can put you temporarily in the boss’s ‘bad books’, but you can actually boost your reputation for professionalism by responding to this situation the right way.

Respond Positively To Failure

Some of the most successful companies in the world (e.g. Google) prefer to employ people who have tasted failure in their life. It is easy to do the right things when everything is going well, and there is lots of praise from superiors, but things don’t remain this way forever.

If you are so used to success that you react to failure badly, it can mean you become a liability on a team, because most projects are going to involve some failure along the way – it’s just part of the learning process.

Be Seen With the Right People At Work

If you work in a large office, there is likely to be a group of people who like to joke around and take things easy. These guys may be incredibly likeable, and sort of cool, but becoming a member of this group is likely to harm your reputation.

You may not want to go partying with the productive and efficient people at work, but it could be better to be associated with them than the office clowns.

In July 2014 the Indian E-commerce sector was in joyous mood. Amazon.com said it will invest a further $2 billion in India just a day after the country’s largest e-tailer Flipkart attracted $1 billion of fresh funds, raising the stakes in a nascent but fast-growing e-commerce sector.

India’s e-commerce market grew at a staggering 88 per cent in 2013 to $16 billion, riding on booming online retail trends and defying slower economic growth and spiralling inflation, according to a survey by industry body ASSOCHAM. It is a rapidly expanding sector, throwing up thousands of new job opportunities every year.

E-commerce Hotspot for Career Opportunities

Ashu Malhotra, senior VP-HR, Jabong.com informs that the e-commerce industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years. “As per a CRISIL research report, e-commerce in India is estimated to grow at 50-55 per cent annually for the next three years and is touted to become an Rs 50,000crore industry by 2016, “he shares. The e-commerce industry is growing significantly in India and expected to add tons of jobs in the years to come, asserts Vinish Kathuria, COO, Digital Quotient.“Owing to the rapidly changing consumer behaviour and shopping patterns, one can expect a continued growth in the coming years, “he explains.

The job market in this relatively new industry seems to be flourishing like no other industry. Sharing his views on the employment scenario in his industry, Rajiv Srivatsa, COO and co-founder, Urban Ladder says, “There are plenty of opportunities available because the industry is young and evolving continuously. Profiles and job descriptions that never existed have been created specifically for this industry and people are getting a chance to innovate and explore new opportunities since there aren’t any set rules and there is a lot of learn ing along the way. ” Kathuria adds, “This is an ideal industry for people who are fast-paced, fuelled by passion, highly creative and for who comfort is not a priority. I believe for creative-enthusiasts and geeks, it is fascinating to work in ecommerce. Moreover, there is a positive growth outlook for this sector. ” According to Malhotra, hiring activities are expected to grow by over 30 per cent in this sector and may help create upto 50,000 employment opportunities in the next two-three years. “Tier-1 B.Tech and MBA grads mostly join us from IITs and IIMs. As per a study by Nielsen, today, almost one-fourth of MBA students from across India’s top tier business schools, including the IIMs, said they would prefer working for the fledgling e-commerce sector, over traditional favourites like consulting and financial services jobs,” he shares.

Further discussing the kind of career prospects and opportunities professionals can look at in this industry, and the hottest jobs available, Aloke Bajpai, CEO and co-founder, ixigo.com avers, “The ecommerce industry is currently witnessing an upsurge in growth and this is the right time for aspiring individuals to turn to this industry. While there is always a demand for solid web/app developers and quality experts; content writers, graphic designers and digital marketers also have a huge role to play. ” The industry is growing at a rapid pace. And this means that the growth opportunities in this industry would be ample too. Srivatsa points out, “Most of successful e-commerce companies have started out as small three-four member teams, but have grown into 1000+ member organisations today. This has given a lot of employees the exposure and growth they would have found impossible to achieve in more established companies where hierarchy and experience take precedence over talent. ” Kathuria concurs, “E-commerce offers a dynamic work environment. It exposes a professional to all the powerful core essentials of a business functioning like product marketing, supply chain, pricing and profit management, customer acquisition, cross-selling, up-selling, customer service and much more.

Not many jobs present that holistic picture. Globally, the sector is booming and is expected to grow to $675 billion by 2016. ” Moreover, not only does the e-commerce industry have the hottest jobs in present times, but also the coolest work environment. Bajpai asserts that e-commerce companies typically exhibit an informal working culture, with lower levels of hierarchy in comparison to traditional industries and MNCs. “Ecommerce is a fast-paced industry, which rewards those companies that are able to rapidly pivot to exploit changing trends. Thus, prospective candidates must display great communication skills, flexibility and enthusiasm for the constant innovativeness that is required in this industry,” he explains.

So, if you are looking at having the hottest job at the coolest workplace and have the passion to do something different and think laterally, e-commerce is the place to be!

The Indian Institutes of Management, IIMs announced the dates for CAT 2014. A few major changes for CAT 2014 have been introduced and this is seen as an improvement from the past five years.

The CAT 2014 will be conducted in two days, consisting of four sessions overall. The exam will be conducted in 99 cities compared to 40 last year comprising about 354 test sites.

Candidates will be given the option to select three test cities in the order of preference and hence need not rush to block slots and sites in the initial registration days.

As far as possible, candidates will be given their first preferred city across the four sessions on a random basis. If the second city is not possible for some reason, then the third preferred city will be allotted.

The exams will be held on November 16, 2014 (Sunday) and November 22, 2014 (Saturday). This will be a month later (November) as compared with last year (October). This will give an added advantage for the CAT aspirant as they will get one month extra for preparation.

The candidates have no option to select the dates. The dates will be allotted by the CAT centre on a random basis

The purchase of offline vouchers has been discontinued from this year and the candidates have to make the payment of registration fee through online modes only by credit card, debit card or through net banking.

Online Registration for CAT has already started from 06thAugust 2014 and candidates can register online until September 30, 2014 by 11.59pm.

After submission of application, candidates will be permitted to download their admit cards from October 16, 2014 onwards until their exam date.

For example, if the candidate is appearing for the test on November 16, then she/he can download the admit card only up to November 16, 2014 (forenoon or afternoon session) according to her/his slot.

The duration of the examination has been increased to 170 minutes from the existing limit of 140 minutes.

Questions in each section, - quantitative ability and data interpretation, verbal ability and logical reasoning, have been increased to 50 (per section) from the existing limit of 30 questions. Find out how good you are in verbal ability and logical reasoning.

Candidates can decide how much time they want to spend on each of the sections. They have the flexibility for devoting more or less time to each section. Depending on their ability, they can switch over from one section to another section for the duration of the exam.

A tutorial to understand the format of the examination will not be available before the start of the examination. Candidates are advised to do the tutorials, from the website well in advance.

The results of CAT 2014 are expected to be released sometime around the third week of December 2014. Visit www.iimcat.ac.in for further details.

In my career guidance session, sometimes the student and their parents ask me “can you tell us some unknown or not commonly followed career path?”

If you happen to be one of them here is one of the not so commonly followed career path – Aerospace Medicine!

Surprised! I am sure most of you have heard of Aerospace or Aviation Engineering but I am sure very few are aware of Aerospace Medicine or Aviation Medicine as a career path. This is an upcoming hot career in India! Though India is not new to this career path, The Institute of Aerospace Medicine is almost 6 decades old Institute at Bangalore, providing PG courses in Aerospace Medicine or Aviation Medicine.

New career path Study Aerospace Medicine - What is Aviation Medicine?

Aviation Medicine is a medical specialty which combines aspects of preventive, occupational, environmental and clinical medicine with the physiology and psychology of man in flight. It is concerned with the health and safety of those who fly, crew and passengers, as well as the selection and performance of those who hold aviation licenses.

Aviation can contribute to the rapid dissemination of communicable diseases – almost any city can be reached within 24 hours. Passenger numbers are significantly reduced by public health emergencies, reducing income to national economies well as to airline and supporting companies. Aviation Medicine contributes to the mitigation and management of such health risks and other public health events, such as radio nuclear and chemical accidents.

Institute of Aerospace Medicine Indian Air Force Bangalore, Karnataka offers this course at PG level. It is affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. The course is of three years’ duration and is interdisciplinary, taking inputs from diverse fields such as medicine, physiology, psychology, biophysics, and bioengineering. The course has a mix of research and clinical training.

The qualifications required are MBBS with minimum 55 per cent marks and registration with the State Medical Council. The Institute is open to civilian students and service medical officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force. Admission is based on an all-India written entrance examination (multiple-choice type) followed by an interview for selected candidates.

Future Scope

Aerospace Medicine In India: Next Fifty Years Perspective

The practice of Aerospace Medicine fifty years hence would have its roots in the practice of Aerospace Medicine as it stands today. It would widen in scope over the years and may require prop- roots or other ways of sustenance. The practice of Aerospace Medicine could be envisaged in the following broad categories.

India is emerging as a digital outsourcing hub for diverse services including online advertising, social media and website design. About 1.5 lakh jobs are expected to be created in the digital marketing space within a couple of years as more companies tap the Internet and the social media platform to bolster business, say HR experts.

Explore new career option Digital marketing - Going by estimates, around 25,000 new job opportunities are likely this year itself in digital marketing space. The rising demand is also spurred by increased use of the Internet and mobile phones besides fast growing e-commerce businesses.

What is Digital marketing?

It is the promotion of products or brands via one or more forms of electronic media. For example, advertising mediums that might be used as part of the digital marketing strategy of a business could include promotional efforts made via the Internet, social media, mobile phones and electronic billboards, as well as via digital and television and radio channels.

However, the availability of talent is less than demand. “Almost every single brand has put in place a digital marketing strategy and are struggling to hire people to execute the same,” Trivone Digital Services Founder & CEO L Subramanyam said.

Reflecting similar sentiments, CareerBuilder India MD Premlesh Machama said there is a dearth of skilled and experienced professionals for digital marketing.

If you are interested in this filed some good courses for you -

NIIT which offer learning and knowledge solutions across 38 countries, has 4 different Diploma Programs

Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing

Professional Diploma in Mobile Marketing

Professional Diploma in Social Media Marketing

Professional Diploma in Search Marketing

Another good course isoffered by Google. It says – As the digital marketing landscape continues to grow at a rapid pace, marketers are faced with new challenges and opportunities within this digital age.

The Digital Marketing Course is an initiative designed to educate students in the area of Digital Marketing.

The Future of Digital Marketing

According to MeraJob India CEO Pallav Sinha said, India is also becoming a potential outsourcing hub for digital marketing services, with many entities taking up projects from clients in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Unison International MD Udit Mittal said the requirement for more skilled and efficient digital marketing professionals is rising at an exponential level. Among the business areas, e-commerce is turning to be a major recruiter of digital marketing professionals.

Lighthouse Partners Managing Partner Rajiv Burman said the digital space offers opportunities to professionals working in marketing departments of corporate as well as fresh graduates.
Echoing similar views, Advaiya Solutions’ Founder and CEO Manish Godha said growth of digital marketing segment is very promising and would create many job opportunities. ”Other areas for digital marketing growth include social marketing, content creation and management, search marketing, email marketing, analytics and video production,” he added.

What you can expect money wise?

As per Randstad Indiaestimates, the starting salary for digital marketing professionals is in the range of Rs 4.5-5.5 lakh. Please check with the company for experience and educational qualifications.

UPSC Exam Myths and the Truths - The reason behind this post, on any road when I travel on my bike, I came across N number of small or big hoardings, banners and some time I do get pamphlets of IAS or for that matter UPSC coaching classes. If there are so many coaching classes naturally there must be rise in the number of UPSC aspirants. From Google search I got something, I think it’s worth sharing. Some of you might have already read this if Yes! I am sure you must have got some good insight about UPSC Exam Preparation, for others it might be worth reading.

Some Myths About UPSC Exam Preparation – Truths

1) They say IAS is the mother of all exams. Is it?

Wrong. This is just another competitive exam. The mother of all exams is Life. You can afford to fail in IAS, but not in Life. So, take IAS preparation as a phase in Life, not as your Life.

2) They say IAS is not for faint-hearted. Is it?

If you think you are faint-hearted, better start preparing for IAS soon – it makes you stone-hearted.

3) One topper in an interview said that she studied 20 hours every day for 365 days. Is this true?

May be she suffered from insomnia. Even now she will be working 20 hours a day as an officer. On a serious note, good sleep is very necessary to prepare well for this exam. It keeps you in good health. Don’t study beyond 14 hours unless you suffer from Insomnia.

4) Now you are saying 14 Hours! Are you mad?

Calm down. If you have left your job, as a punishment you should devote these many hours. Didn’t you work 12 hours for your company? Anyway, every day at least 8 hours of planned study is required. If you can study more than that, it is well and good. But please ensure that you also get 6-8 hours of sound sleep.

5) My English is very poor. They say I am out of the race. Am I?

No. You are still part of the race. Now you have figured out the problem – that your English is poor. Work on it. All you need is Basic English. Moreover, you can write this exam and give the interview in your mother-tongue. Buy a basic Grammar book – read it, listen to English news on TV and radio, try to write something in English, everyday (don’t worry if it is very bad, keep trying) Necessity should push you to learn. Push yourself. Win the race.

6) I am worried. I can’t go to Delhi because of some personal reasons. They say it is Mecca for IAS aspirants.

Can’t go to Delhi? Wow. That’s great. These days you can study from home itself. IAS preparation is neither religion nor life to seek enlightenment in a far away concrete desert. Do your duty sincerely, if pleased, almighty UPSC will call you to its shrine, if pleased with your personality, it will give you a pass to Heaven – the IAS. Why go there uninvited?

7) So how can I study from my home?

These days you can buy books from online. Every topper has studied the same set of books as lakhs of aspirants do every year. The difference is that toppers plan their studies and execute those plans well. They practice writing. They take tests. They are confident. And they also have some luck.

8) Oh! So luck is needed for this exam.

Yes, only if you think you are unlucky. Anyway, let me modify a famous quote for you – Success is one percent luck and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Don’t let that 99% thing slip from your hand. Toil sincerely, and you will be rewarded with that 1 percent luck.

9) It was my last attempt. I failed in Prelims. Now I want to kill myself. Help me.

To kill you? First, kill your ego, not yourself. You took a journey but couldn’t reach the destination. It doesn’t mean the end of your life or the end of the road – start a new phase in your Life from where you are now. What matters in the end is how well you lived your Life, not how many successes you achieved.

10) Lakhs of aspirants give this exam and only few get into IAS. I am scared.

Though lakhs of aspirants apply and write this exam, the real competition is between only 2000-3000 serious aspirants. Those who have the ability and study systematically and consistently, get into service. If you do the same, you will be one among them. Don’t have fears even before you start. You must enter the race and work hard to win it.

Remember this: “I never did a day’s work in all my Life. It was all fun” (Edison). Make the process fun, enjoy reading, love what you do and do everything to please your heart. Not the society.

11) They say there is corruption in recruiting IAS officers. Is it true?

This allegation is utterly false. The whole examination is so opaque that you have to trust it blindly (Oxymoron). There may be lacunae in the way examination is held, or there may be loopholes in how an UPSC member is appointed, but there is never corruption involved in the recruitment of civil service officers. The steel produced is pure. You can trust it.

12) Those veterans laugh when I tell them I am preparing for IAS. Instead, they insist I should say that I am preparing for civil services. What is the difference?

When you say you are preparing for civil services, you are not sure about getting into IAS/IPS. When you say you are preparing for IAS, you are confident that you want only IAS and you know how to get it. Choose the one suit you best. Not the veterans’.

13) I am getting headache while making notes. There are so many books to refer and I want my notes to be the best. What to do?

Note this. Leo Tolstoy writes in Anna Karenina “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.” Also someone said, “Perfection is the child of time“. When you scout too many sources to make that perfect notes, you end up both loosing invaluable time and discontented. Managing timeduring the preparation is the most important aspect of this examination. Read one or two books for a topic. Re-read the same book even if some coaching institution or a publication house releases new notes/book in the market that has become famous.

14) They say IAS is the best job on Earth! Is it?

Well, I thought becoming the President of US was the best thing on Earth. Anyway, the above statement is wrong. Ask Durga Shakti Nagpal.

15) At least in India it is the best job. Right?

Yes. If you want to make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of poor, IAS is the best job. You should be fearless and armed with ammunition. There is a silver lining though. The ammunition is personal integrity and The People – if you do a good work, help the people, they will admire you.

16) Some say this exam is like a vast ocean and questions are asked from outside the syllabus, even from extraterritorial sources. Is it?

No. Again wrong. UPSC strictly adheres to the syllabus. Though sometimes it seems like questions are asked from outside of the syllabus, they are actually in some ways related to it. For example, if there is a question like this, ‘Opportunity on Mars‘, one should not get bedazzled why UPSC is asking questions from ET source and start answering like, ‘If Nuclear war takes place and the Earth is destroyed, the opportunities on Mars are immense for the Humankind…...’

Opportunity is the name of a Robot that was sent to mars in 2003. Awareness on ‘Robotics‘and ‘Space‘is part of the UPSC syllabus (Paper-IV).

17) I have a disease. I keep buying all the magazines and coaching material. Is there any cure for this?

If you are rich, donate some money to this site. Jokes apart, yes there is a cure. You know very well that you don’t read all the magazine and materials you buy to improve your general knowledge. When you buy more and don’t use them, it only worsens your situation. The sight of those books frightens you. The cure is simple: first understand why you are buying so many books.

You buy them to buy yourself momentary satisfaction, that you are doing right thing in your preparation. No, wrong. Always finish reading what you have now. If something is really missing from the book you have, then go for a new one.

When you become aware that you are not going to read all the books you buy, you will stop buying them.

Heading up any organisation is a thrilling privilege, especially when it’s your own. Young entrepreneurs today have a wealth of opportunity at their fingertips, and with practices like remote networking, borderless resourcing and even crowd sourcing, creating a business and achieving success in the marketplace is a real-world possibility. So what’s the best way to build a great business as a young person? Here are Leadership tips for young entrepreneurs.

1. Surround yourself with experts

As a leader, you should never settle for “just anyone.” When it comes to building your leadership team (and your greater business), seek out passionate and forward-thinking people who are experts and leaders in their field.

Learn as much as you can from them and gain their input and advice on every big decision you make – from product to strategy to operations to finance, and so on. In the long run, these people will help shape your company culture and direction and they’ll turn you into a stronger leader.

2. Stay on top of tech

Technology is becoming the driving force in a growing number of new industries and is rapidly taking over existing industries. As a leader, it’s imperative that you (and your team) keep up with tech trends and stay on the frontline of new developments – anything that crops up that can make your product better or deliver further innovation should not be ignored.

This is particularly critical in the retail sector. Retailers, writes John Riccio from professional services firm PwC, “need to innovate if they are to remain relevant to the connected consumer.”

As a result, many retailers are being pushed by consumers to offer more accessibility and better services via various technological means and the ones who don’t are likely to fall quickly behind – and many already have.

3. Only take calculated risks

Hamdi Ulukaya, who founded Chobani and won Ernst & Young’s World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award last year said, “If you’re afraid of losing money, you will not make it to success.”

This is true for every start-up, but young leaders need to recognise that risk doesn’t mean just making a wild decision and then going for it.

Every risk you take, even the smallest one, must be thoroughly calculated. If you don’t calculate, your business will eventually fail. Projections (particularly financial), strategy options and risk management plans must be in place before the first step is actioned.

4. Know when to delegate and when not to delegate

There’s a big difference between having to do everything yourself and wanting to do it yourself for the sake of learning.

While there will be plenty of things you can delegate early on, taking on business tasks and learning the ropes (just like an employee) will give you a much more thorough and in-depth understand of how your business runs and operates.

In turn, this will provide you with insight into how you can improve your approaches and procedures and will ultimately make your management, operations and leadership better.

5. Keep innovating and evolving your product – even if you think it’s perfect, there will always be better

Many start-ups have a fantastic product/service when they first come to market. But once your product is out there, it’s important that you continue to improve, expand and develop what you’ve created. This is how you remain competitive.

This type of evolution is essential if you want your start-up to be successful in five, 10 or 20 years.

Consider how Richard Branson’s Virgin has moved from being a simple airline to an organisation offering “astronaut” flights into outer space via Virgin Galactic – Innovation!

It might seem like an extreme way to “dream big”, but Branson realised there was much potential in the air/space travel arena and his ability to innovate at this level means that Virgin will continue to grow and innovate well into the future.

Body language is important, Very important. You can say what you want during a job interview, but if your body language tells a different story, you may seem insecure, unreliable or arrogant.

Body language as a means of communication

In this article Importance of body language for job interview you will read 16 tips to keep your body under control during your next job interview. The tips below are based on scientific research and experience and guidelines from organizations of repute.

The first handshake

1. Initiate the handshake

Don’t wait for the other person to initiate the first handshake. Go ahead and initiate the first handshake if you can. This shows that you feel confident and that you are ready to start the interview.

2. Avoid sweaty hands

Do you sweat excessively? Then please refresh yourself before you enter the building. Make sure you always carry a handkerchief with you to dry your hands and to wipe your forehead and neck.

If you get sweaty hands just before your interview, then dry them subtly on your knees when you get up from your chair. Avoid clammy hands, as they can give the impression that you are nervous and/or uncertain.

3. Learn to give a firm handshake

Stretch your fingers and make a 45° angle with your thumb. Let the skin between your thumb and index finger touch your partner’s hand and then close your fingers around his or her hand.

Avoid giving a soft handshake. This may give the impression that you feel uncertain. Don’t squeeze your partner’s hand either. Such a handshake may give the impression that you are too dominant or that you want to (over)compensate for your insecurity.

4. Maintain eye contact

Try to ensure a natural smile, a firm voice and constant eye contact during the introduction with your conversation partner(s). If your eyes go away from your conversation partner(s) you may seem insecure, dishonest, indifferent or downright arrogant.

Your posture during your job interview

5. Sit up straight

This may seem like stating the obvious, but if your seat has side rails you may be tempted to lean to the left or to the right. Try to avoid this. If you are ‘hanging’ loosely in your chair then you can come across as careless and/or indifferent.

Therefore try to sit up straight and to keep your back against the backrest. If you lean forward during your interview, then keep your shoulders low. Don’t make yourself too ‘big’. Also make sure that you respect your conversation partner’s personal space. Otherwise you will leave too much of an impression.

6. Stay calm and sit quietly

Do not wiggle in your chair and keep your legs still. Try to balance between movement and a formal posture. Someone who is using his hands and arms too much can be perceived as disturbing. The same applies to someone who is not moving at all.

7. Don’t try to hide your stress too much

Don’t try to hide your stress too much. You want to come across as natural and pleasant to talk with. If you show healthy stress then you will give the impression that the job is important to you. If you look too stoically then you may come across as indifferent.

What to do with your head and your eyes?

8. Eye contact while you are speaking

You may have multiple conversation partners in a job interview. Try to give everyone the same amount of eye contact when it is your turn to speak. You can never know whose arguments will decide about your future. Try to show the same amount of respect for every conversation partner.

9. Eye contact when someone else is speaking

Try to maintain eye contact with the person who is speaking. This way you will show that you are sincere and interested. When someone asks a question, look him or her in the eye at the beginning of your answer and then shift your eyes to the other conversation partners.

10. Eye contact when you answer a question

Try not to look away or turn your eyes downward when you give an answer to a question. It may make you feel comfortable, but it can also give the impression that your are insecure or that you aren’t telling the truth. Look your conversation partner in the eyes and shift your eyes to the other people at the table afterwards.

11. Nod only when you agree

Some people are nodding their heads constantly to show that they understand what the interviewer is saying. This can be perceived as (too) obedient or not sincere. Therefore, only nod your head if you agree, when you understand an important point and when you want to invite your conversation partner to continue talking.

Also, keep your head still as much as possible and / or mirror the movements of the head of your conversation partner. If you subtly mirror the (head) movements of your conversation partner, you implicitly show that you agree with what is being said.

Your arms and hands as a means of communication

12. Never cross your arms

Crossed arms give a ‘closed’ impression. As a result, crossed arms are often interpreted as a symbol of uncertainty, unreliability or lack of interest. Try to avoid this by not crossing your arms.

13. Use your arms and hands (only) to emphasize your story

Use your arms (only) to emphasize your message. Practice this at home in front of the mirror and/or with your friends and family. On the internet you can find lots of instructional videos that demonstrate how you can emphasize different messages with your arms and hands.

14. What to do with your arms and hands if you are not speaking

Put your hands on your lap or on the table. If you put your arms and hands on the table, then gently lean over to your conversation partners. This way you emphasize that you are listening attentively. You can fold your hands loosely, but make sure you don’t squeeze the blood out of your fingers.

15. Avoid a tense impression with your hands and fingers

Holds and move your hands in a calm and natural manner when you are talking. Try to keep your hands still if you are not talking. Don’t tick on the table and don’t make other any rhythmic movements that can reveal your stress (and that can irritate your conversation partners).

16. Don’t touch yourself too much

This may sound odd, but it is a natural reflex to touch your nose, cheeks and lips when you are speaking. It is a common way to soothe yourself.

Try to avoid this. If you touch your face too much or if you play with your hands, fingers or jewelry you may be perceived as insecure and/or unreliable.

Have you ever been passed over for a promotion that you knew in the depths of your soul you had earned? Have you ever looked at your annual raise and cried/died a little inside? Have you felt overwhelmed and unappreciated at the same time? Work at any business long enough, and you’ve probably felt all three. The thing is, you might be the best person in your company at doing exactly what you are required to do, but if you aren’t going above and beyond your basic job requirements (and getting noticed doing it) then chances are you are going to stay exactly where you are while getting paid almost exactly what you are currently making. Here are 6 Ways to go Above and Beyond at Your Job and get the promotion, raise, or recognition you are after.

1. Don’t just come up with ideas. Plan and implement them.

Good ideas are worth about as much as the whiteboards they’re written on during brainstorm sessions. In fact, they’re worth less. Whiteboards are kind of expensive. Have you ever sat in a meeting where everyone pats each other on the back about the great idea they’re coming up with, only to leave the meeting and not see a single one of them implemented? A brainstorm is a dust flurry if no one does anything after. Take one idea from every meeting you’re in, build a workable plan around it, and take it to your supervisor to ask permission to take charge on it. They may say no. You may be too busy with other projects. But you just got face time with your boss showing your interest in stepping outside your job description on something creative. You showed initiative. AND if she says yes, you get the chance to shine.

2. Be the data king/queen.

Sure, management wants people who are personable and a joy to work with, but at the end of the day they want someone who knows how to move the needle. If you know what moves said needle, you’re ahead of the game. Learn the big picture. If you work for a shipping company moving boxes from the belt to the truck, know how a quarter turn and pivot instead of a full turn reduces your single box load time by a full second. Know that in a four-hour shift when you used to load 1,200 boxes, using your new technique allows you to load 1,309 boxes. When your manager notices this because you point it out to them, explain how you did it. They will be impressed, and it will help them improve everyone on the team. Needle moved. You = Awesome.

3. Offer to help.

This is one of the simplest things you can do in an office, and it is so important. Be the person who offers to help, not the person who always asks for it. Sure, ask for help when you need it. There’s no shame in that. But when you hear someone complaining about being overloaded with an impending deadline, offer to help—even if you don’t know their job. Offer to take their menial tasks off their hands until they finish. Don’t just offer to help management. Offer to help everyone. If you are known as the person in the office who is always willing to help everyone, you will have obtained the ultimate in workplace karma. Your boss won’t just want to promote you; everyone will want you to get promoted.

4. Complain less.

This one can be difficult. Sometimes complaining feels SOOO good. Coworkers bond over complaining. They feel united in their misery. In most offices the break room should be called the vent room. And jobs are FRUSTRATING. Clients can be difficult. Bosses can be horrible. Coworkers can be oblivious. One of the hardest parts of being a manager is knowing that all of this unrest exists and finding a way to deal with it without making everybody hate you. The technique most good managers rely on is working incredibly hard to keep people positive. Happy is impossible. Positive is somewhat achievable, but not easy. It involves being a mentor, friend, and complaint recipient, all while maintaining discipline, increasing revenue, meeting goals, etc. Managers know who the positive and negative influences are on their teams, even if they’re not in the break room during the complain-fest. Being a positive force is going above and beyond in the eyes of your boss, especially during the busier times of the year.

5. Be visible. Let cc: be your proxy.

You can do amazing things in the dark, and no one will see them. If a tree staples a cover sheet on all of its TPS reports in a forest, and no one is around to see, did it actually happen? No. Trees don’t have hands, and even if they did they couldn’t operate a stapler. That is silly talk. But really…

If you have accomplishments, great ideas, good news, and a positive influence on your office, and if that is being communicated via electronic media, CC YOUR BOSS. So many people use cc as a passive-aggressive way of letting their boss know that someone else messed up. You can also use it as a passive-aggrandizing way of tooting your own horn. With the bitter brew of reports and complaints your manager or supervisor gets in their inbox in a day, being included in your good-news e-mail will be a delicious cherry on top of their gross, melted, boring e-mail sundae.

6. Get Your Degree

Which degree? Well, preferably be working toward one in the field in which you are interested in.

Contact Us

Careerfutura connects you with online career counselling and gives you a package of complete career guidance. We are a complete mirror of who you are, what you want and where would you shine in your future.